Polymer-coated protective garment

ABSTRACT

A polymer-coated protective garment is disclosed. The garment may be configured to fit around the arm, leg, foot or hand of a wearer. For example, in one embodiment, the protective garment comprises a glove. The glove includes a hollow member defining an opening for receiving a hand. The hollow member is made from an elastic laminate. The elastic laminate may comprise at least one nonwoven web. The hollow member further includes an elastomeric coating that covers at least a portion of the hollow member. In one embodiment, for instance, the elastomeric coating covers a palm portion and finger portions of the glove.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many types and styles of protective gloves are known in the art.Depending on the type of environment, nature of work, or desiredproperties, these gloves are made from a variety of materials, includingwoven cloth fabrics, leather, natural latex or synthetic polymerelastomeric materials, or combinations of such materials.

Gloves made of woven fabrics generally allow the user's skin to breathethrough the fabric such that perspiration from the hand may be wickedaway by the fabric. Knit gloves are often desirable in that they allowfor a relatively comfortable fit on the hand of the user. Additionally,knit gloves demonstrate at least some degree of inherent flexibility inorder to accommodate movement of the user's hands. Knitting processesused to create woven knit gloves, however, are typically slow andexpensive.

Gloves that require greater protection against fluids, chemicals, ormicroscopic pathogens typically incorporate a barrier layer that isimpervious to the undesirable substances. For example, surgical,examination, or work gloves typically are made using natural orsynthetic rubber latex or other elastic polymer membranes.

In still other embodiments, gloves have been made in the past thatinclude a combination of textile materials with elastomeric or filmmaterials. For example, gloves have been made in the past that includean elastomeric shell that includes an internal lining composed offibrous material, such as cotton flock. For instance, the flock may becomposed of finely divided, ground, fibrous particles that are appliedas a lining by spraying the flock particles onto an adhesive coveredshell. The cotton flock lining is intended to provide a smooth,comfortable feel that cushions the hands and absorbs perspiration. Thecotton flock lining may also insulate against hot and cold temperaturesand may facilitate donning of the glove.

The cotton flock lining, however, may have various disadvantages anddrawbacks. For instance, the flock particles and fibers may becomedetached from the internal lining and can migrate out of the glove. Thecotton flock lining, in some applications, may also be difficult toattach to the inside surface of an elastomeric article. Further, inorder to attach the cotton flocking to the inside surface of thearticle, a glue or adhesive is used that adds complexity to the processfor making the glove.

In still other embodiments, multi-layered gloves have been produced thatinclude a woven interior layer coated with a rubber-like material. Suchgloves, however, generally have little elasticity and are typicallyreserved for heavy duty uses.

In view of the above, a need currently exists for an improved compositegarment, such as a glove, that includes a cloth-like glove body that isat least partially coated with an elastomeric material. Specifically, aneed exists for a composite glove that is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, that possesses both the benefits of a cloth-like lining andan elastomeric coating and that still has relatively good tactileproperties such as elasticity and feel.

Definitions

As used herein, the term “nonwoven fabric or web” means a web having astructure of individual fibers or threads which are interlaid, but notin an identifiable manner as in a knitted fabric. Nonwoven fabrics orwebs have been formed from various processes such as, for example,meltblowing processes, spunbonding processes, and bonded carded webprocesses. The basis weight of nonwoven fabrics is usually expressed inounces of material per square yard (osy) or grams per square meter (gsm)and the fiber diameters are usually expressed in microns. (Note that toconvert from osy to gsm, multiply osy by 33.91).

As used herein, the term “spunbonded fibers” refers to small diameterfibers that are formed by extruding molten thermoplastic material asfilaments from a plurality of fine, usually circular capillaries of aspinneret with the diameter of the extruded filaments then being rapidlyreduced to fibers as by, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 toAppel et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dorschner et al., U.S. Pat.No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,992 and 3,341,394to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 to Hartman, and U.S. Pat. No.3,542,615 to Dobo et al., the entire contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Spunbond fiberscan be continuous and have diameters generally greater than about 7microns, more particularly, between about 10 and about 20 microns.

As used herein, the term “meltblown fibers” means fibers formed byextruding a molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of fine,usually circular, die capillaries as molten threads or filaments intoconverging high velocity, usually hot, gas (e.g. air) streams whichattenuate the filaments of molten thermoplastic material to reduce theirdiameter, which may be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the meltblownfibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited ona collecting surface to form a web of randomly disbursed meltblownfibers. Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.3,849,241 to Butin et al., the entire contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Meltblown fibersare microfibers that may be continuous or discontinuous with diametersgenerally less than 10 microns.

As used herein, the term “stretch-bonded laminate” refers to a compositematerial having at least two layers in which one layer is a gatherablelayer and the other layer is an elastic layer. The layers are joinedtogether when the elastic layer is extended from its original conditionso that upon relaxing the layers, the gatherable layer is gathered. Sucha multilayer composite elastic material may be stretched to the extentthat the material gathered between the bond locations allows the elasticmaterial to elongate. One type of stretch-bonded laminate is disclosed,for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,415 to Vander Wielen et al., theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety for all purposes. Other composite elastic materials aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,699 to Kieffer et al., U.S. Pat. No.4,781,966 to Taylor and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,657,802 and 4,652,487 to Mormanand U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,760 to Morman et al., the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

As used herein, the terms “necking” or “neck stretching” interchangeablyrefer to a method of elongating a nonwoven fabric, generally in themachine direction, to reduce its width (cross-machine direction) in acontrolled manner to a desired amount. The controlled stretching maytake place under cool, room temperature or greater temperatures and islimited to an increase in overall dimension in the direction beingstretched up to the elongation required to break the fabric, which inmost cases is about 1.2 to 1.6 times. When relaxed, the web retractstoward, but does not return to, its original dimensions. Such a processis disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,513 to Meitner andNotheis, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,965,122, 4,981,747 and 5,114,781 to Morman andU.S. Pat. No. 5,244,482 to Hassenboehier Jr. et al., the entire contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

As used herein, the term “reversibly necked material” refers to amaterial that possesses stretch and recovery characteristics formed bynecking a material, then heating the necked material, and cooling thematerial. Such a process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,122 toMorman, commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention, theentire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety for all purposes.

As used herein, the term “neck bonded laminate” refers to a compositematerial having at least two layers in which one layer is a necked,non-elastic layer and the other layer is an elastic layer. The layersare joined together when the non-elastic layer is in an extended(necked) condition. Examples of neck-bonded laminates are such as thosedescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,226,992, 4,981,747, 4,965,122 and5,336,545 to Morman, the entire contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

As used herein, the term “coform” means a meltblown material to which atleast one other material is added during the meltblown materialformation. The meltblown material may be made of various polymers,including elastomeric polymers. Various additional materials may beadded to the meltblown fibers during formation, including, for example,pulp, superabsorbent particles, cellulose or staple fibers. Coformprocesses are illustrated in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,464to Lau and U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,324 to Anderson et al., the entirecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entiretyfor all purposes.

As used herein, the term “ultrasonic bonding” refers to a process inwhich materials (fibers, webs, films, etc.) are joined by passing thematerials between a sonic horn and anvil surface, such as a roll. Anexample of such a process is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,888 toBornslaeger, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety for all purposes.

As used herein, the term “elastic” refers to any material, including afilm, fiber, nonwoven web, or combination thereof, which uponapplication of a biasing force, is stretchable to a stretched, biasedlength which is at least about 150 percent, or one and a half times, itsrelaxed, unstretched length, and which will recover at least 15 percentof its elongation upon release of the stretching, biasing force.

As used herein, the terms “elastomer” or “elastomeric” refer topolymeric materials that have properties of stretchability and recovery.

As used herein, the term “stretch” refers to the ability of a materialto extend upon application of a biasing force. Percent stretch is thedifference between the initial dimension of a material and that samedimension after the material has been stretched or extended followingthe application of a biasing force. Percent stretch may be expressed as[(stretched length +initial sample length)/initial sample length]×100.For example, if a material having an initial length of one (1) inch isstretched 0.50 inch, that is, to an extended length of 1.50 inches, thematerial can be said to have a stretch of 50 percent.

As used herein, the term “recover” or “recovery” refers to a contractionof a stretched material upon termination of a biasing force followingstretching of the material by application of the biasing force. Forexample, if a material having a relaxed, unbiased length of one (1) inchis elongated 50 percent by stretching to a length of one and one half(1.5) inches the material would have a stretched length that is 150percent of its relaxed length. If this exemplary stretched materialcontracted, that is recovered to a length of one and one tenth (1.1)inches after release of the biasing and stretching force, the materialwould have recovered 80 percent (0.4 inch) of its elongation.

As used herein, the term “polymer” generally includes but is not limitedto, homopolymers, copolymers, such as for example, block, graft, randomand alternating copolymers, terpolymers, etc. and blends andmodifications thereof. Furthermore, unless otherwise specificallylimited, the term “polymer” shall include all possible geometricalconfigurations of the molecule. These configurations include, but arenot limited to isotactic, syndiotactic and random symmetries.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present disclosure is directed to polymer-coatedgarments that are not only relatively inexpensive to produce but alsocan have elastic properties. The garment can have a shape to fit over anextremity such as a hand, an arm, a foot, or a leg. In one particularembodiment, for instance, the polymer-coated garment comprises a glove.

For instance, in one particular embodiment, the glove comprises a hollowmember defining an opening for receiving a hand therein. The hollowmember has an interior surface configured to be placed adjacent to ahand when the glove is donned and an opposite exterior surface. Inaccordance with the present disclosure, the hollow member comprises anelastic laminate including at least one nonwoven layer.

A polymeric coating, such as an elastomeric coating covers at least aportion of the exterior surface of the hollow member. The elastomericcoating comprises a natural or synthetic polymer. The elastomericcoating may form a film on the exterior surface of the hollow member.The film may be continuous or may be discontinuous. For instance, theelastomeric coating may form a pattern on the exterior surface of thehollow member.

The elastomeric coating may penetrate through the hollow member so as tonot only reside on the exterior surface of the hollow member but mayalso be present on the interior surface of the hollow member.Alternatively, the elastomeric coating may be present on the exteriorsurface so as to not substantially penetrate all the way through to theinterior surface of the hollow member.

As described above, the hollow member is generally formed from anelastic laminate. The elastic laminate may comprise, for instance, aspunbond laminate, a neck-bonded laminate, and mixtures thereof. In oneembodiment, for instance, the elastic laminate may have at least threelayers. The three layers may include two outer nonwoven layers and amiddle layer comprising elastic filaments, an elastic film, or anelastic nonwoven. If desired, the outer layers may be attached to themiddle layer while the middle layer is in a stretched state such thatthe outer layers gather when the middle layer is in a relaxed state. Theouter layers may comprise the same or different materials. For example,the outer layers may comprise spunbond webs, meltblown webs, coform websand laminates thereof. In one embodiment, the outer layer forming theexterior surface of the hollow member may comprise a meltblown web,while the outer layer of the elastic laminate forming the interiorsurface of the hollow member may comprise a spunbond web.

In one embodiment, the hollow member may comprise a first panel attachedto a second panel along a seam. The seam, for instance, may have athickness of less than 1 mm and may have been formed by ultrasonicallybonding the first panel to the second panel. Each panel may comprise asimilar elastic laminate or different elastic laminates. For example, inone embodiment, one panel may comprise a neck-bonded laminate, while thesecond panel may comprise a spunbond laminate. For instance, in thisembodiment, the neck-bonded laminate having one dimensional stretchcharacteristics may comprise a palm portion of the glove while astretch-bonded laminate having two dimensional stretch characteristicsmay form a back portion of the glove.

The elastic laminate may have any suitable basis weight depending uponthe glove being produced and its intended uses. The basis weight of theelastic laminate may vary, for instance, from about 20 gsm to about 400gsm or greater.

The elastomeric coating may be made from any suitable film-formingpolymer. For instance, the polymer used to form the elastomeric coatingmay comprise a natural rubber latex, a nitrile polymer, a polyurethanepolymer, polyvinyl chloride, a silicone polymer, an acrylic polymer, ablock copolymer, and the like. When using a block copolymer, the blockcopolymer may comprise a styrenic block copolymer such as astyrene-ethylene butylene-styrene block copolymer.

In one embodiment, a precoat may be present in the glove positionedbetween the elastomeric coating and the hollow member. The precoat maybe added in order to facilitate bonding between the elastomeric coatingand the hollow member, may be used to polymerize the elastomeric coatingmaterial, or may be used to control penetration of the elastomericcoating into the hollow member. In one embodiment, for instance, theprecoat may comprise a coagulant composition for the natural orsynthetic polymer. Alternatively, the precoat may comprise a hydrophobiccomposition that does not form a film on the exterior surface of thehollow member, but does serve to prevent penetration of the elastomericmaterial into the hollow member.

The elastomeric coating may cover the entire exterior surface of thehollow member or may only cover a portion of the exterior surface. Forexample, in one embodiment, the hollow member may include a palmportion, finger portions, and a back side portion. The elastomericcoating may be applied so as to only cover the palm portion and thefinger portions. When the hollow member is made from first and secondpanels that are joined along a seam, in one embodiment, the elastomericcoating may at least cover the seam in order to reinforce the attachmentbetween the panels.

In various embodiments, the finger portions of the glove may beconfigured to enclose the fingers of a wearer or may have open ends forallowing the fingers of a wearer to remain exposed. Further, the glovemay include a cuff portion that extends only a relatively small amountpast the hand of a wearer or may extend to the elbow of the wearer.

In forming the glove product, any suitable process may be used in orderto coat the hollow member with the elastomeric material. In oneembodiment, for instance, the hollow member may be dipped into anelastomeric coating composition that contains the natural or syntheticpolymer. The natural or synthetic polymer may be present in an aqueousdispersion or in a solvent dispersion. After being coated on the hollowmember, the glove may be subjected to heat in order to cause theelastomeric material to dry, cure and/or crosslink.

When contacted with the elastomeric coating composition, the hollowmember may be dipped into the composition so that the elastomericcoating completely covers the hollow member or only covers the hollowmember in certain areas. For example, in one embodiment, the elastomericcoating may be applied to the hollow member so as to only cover the palmportion and the finger portions of the glove.

In one embodiment, the hollow member may be placed on a former prior tobeing dipped into the elastomeric composition. The former may comprise,for instance, a ceramic or metal mold in the shape of a hand. By placingthe hollow member on a former prior to applying the elastomeric coating,the resulting glove may assume a three-dimensional configuration afterthe elastomeric coating is dried and/or cured.

Other features and aspects of the present invention are discussed ingreater detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including thebest mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is setforth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, whichmakes reference to the appended figures in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a glove made in accordance withone embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of astretch-bonded laminate that may be used in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of astretch-bonded laminate that may be used in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of still another embodiment of astretch-bonded laminate that may be used in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the stretch-bonded laminate illustratedin FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view with cutaway portions of a seam formedaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a seamformed in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a process forproducing glove liners in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a process for dippingglove liners into an elastomeric coating composition;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a glove made inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a glovemade in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a glove layermade in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of aglove layer made in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a glove made inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of a glovemade in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a glove madein accordance with the present disclosure.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification anddrawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features orelements of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Eachexample is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and notmeant as a limitation of the invention. For example, featuresillustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used withanother embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. It is intendedthat the present invention include these and other modifications andvariations.

It is to be understood that the ranges mentioned herein include allranges located within the prescribed range. As such, all rangesmentioned herein include all sub-ranges included in the mentionedranges. For instance, a range from 100-200 also includes ranges from110-150, 170-190, and 153-162. Further, all limits mentioned hereininclude all other limits included in the mentioned limits. For instance,a limit of up to 7 also includes a limit of up to 5, up to 3, and up to4.5.

In general, the present disclosure is directed to a polymer-coatedprotective garment. The protective garment includes a hollow member thatis shaped to receive an arm, a leg, a foot, or a hand of a wearer. Forexample, in one embodiment, the protective garment comprises a glove forreceiving a hand. The glove can be used in numerous applications, suchas for industrial applications, sports applications, medicalapplications, and the like.

The following description for exemplary purposes only is generallydirected to a polymer-coated glove. It should be understood, however,that similar articles and garments can be constructed in accordance withthe present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, one embodiment of a glove 10 made inaccordance with the present disclosure is illustrated. FIG. 1Aillustrates the palm side of the glove, while FIG. 1B illustrates theback side of the glove. In general, gloves made according to the presentdisclosure include a hollow member made from an elastic laminate. Theelastic laminate, for instance, may comprise at least one nonwovenmaterial. In accordance with the present disclosure, the hollow memberis then at least partially coated with an elastomeric material.

For instance, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the glove 10 includes ahollow member 12 formed from an elastic laminate. The glove 10 furtherincludes a polymeric coating, such as an elastomeric coating 14 that, inthis embodiment, only partially covers the hollow member 12. Inparticular, in this embodiment, the elastomeric coating 14 covers a palmportion of the glove 10 along with the finger portions. In this manner,the back side of the hollow member remains uncoated for allowing optimumstretch and breathability.

Gloves and garments made in accordance with the present disclosureprovide various advantages. For instance, the hollow member 12 made froman elastic laminate not only provides form-fitting properties but canalso be made so as to be breathable. The hollow member 12 also has alower coefficient of friction relative to the elastomeric material, thusfacilitating donning or doffing of the glove. As will be described inmore detail below, the hollow member 12 can also be made from elasticlaminates that can be mass produced at a relatively low cost making thegloves disposable after one or two uses.

The elastomeric coating 14 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B may comprise anysuitable rubber-like material. For example, the elastomeric coating 14may comprise natural rubber latex, a nitrile polymer, polyvinylchloride, a block copolymer, a polyurethane, a silicone polymer, anacrylic polymer, and the like. The elastomeric coating 14 provides aliquid impermeable barrier that provides protection to the wearer fromthe environment in which the glove is used. The elastomeric material, insome applications, may also have good elastic properties that can workwell in combination with the hollow member 12.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the elastomeric coating 14only partially covers the hollow member 12. It should be understood,however, that the elastomeric coating may be applied to other locationson the glove or to the entire glove body depending upon the particularapplication and the desired result.

As described above, the hollow member 12 is generally formed from anelastic laminate. The elastic laminate may include at least one nonwovenweb and at least one elastic layer. In general, the elastic laminatecontains at least two layers of material but can also contain threelayers, four layers, five layers, six layers or more. The elasticlaminate as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B forms a hollow member with anopening that fits snuggly without bunching at flex points, such as alongthe curves of the fingers or between individual digits of the glove 10,and without either slipping or binding too tightly against, for example,a wrist of a wearer.

In one embodiment, the elastic laminate used to form the hollow member12 comprises a stretch-bonded laminate. The stretch-bonded laminate, forexample, may be capable of stretching from about 50% to 400% or greater.For example, in one embodiment, the stretch-bonded laminate may becapable of stretching 200 to 300%. The above amount of stretch not onlyprovides comfort to the wearer but also works well in conjunction withthe elastomeric coating 14.

The stretch-bonded laminate may be made in various different ways andmay include various different layers. In one embodiment, thestretch-bonded layer may be liquid and gas permeable, only gaspermeable, or impermeable to liquid and gases. In one embodiment, thestretch-bonded laminate can be made so as to be breathable. Forinstance, the stretch-bonded laminate may include pores or openings thatpermit liquids and gases to pass through.

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, various embodiments of elasticlaminates, namely stretch-bonded laminates that may be used inaccordance with the present disclosure are shown. In the illustratedembodiments, the stretch-bonded laminates include three layers. Itshould be understood, however, that fewer or more layers may be used.

Referring to FIG. 2, an elastic laminate or stretch-bonded laminate 16is illustrated. The stretch-bonded laminate 16 includes an elastic layer18 positioned in between a first outer layer 20 and a second outer layer22. In this embodiment, the middle elastic layer comprises a pluralityof elastic filaments or strands 24. The elastic strands 24 may be madefrom any suitable elastomeric material. For example, the elastic strandsmay be made from LYCRA that is manufactured by E.I. DuPont ofWilmington, Del. Alternatively, the elastic strands 24 may be made fromvarious other elastomeric materials such as styrenic block copolymers.For instance, in an alternative embodiment, the elastic strands 24 maybe made from a styrene-ethylene butylene-styrene copolymer, such asKRATON G2740 available from the Kraton Polymer Company. In still otherembodiments, the elastomeric strands 24 may be made from elastomericpolyolefins, such as a polypropylene, a polyethylene, which includescopolymers thereof.

The elastic strands 24 are attached to the outer layers 20 and 22 usingany suitable method or technique. For instance, the elastic strands maybe attached to the outer layers using an adhesive. The adhesive, forinstance, may be sprayed on the outer layers and then attached to theelastic strands. Alternatively, the elastic strands may be thermally,chemically, or ultrasonically bonded to the outer layers.

When forming a stretch-bonded laminate, the elastic strands are attachedto the outer layers 20 and 22 while the elastic strands 24 are in astretched state. Once the strands are attached to the outer layers andrelaxed, the outer layers gather together to form gatherable layers. Inthis manner, the stretch-bonded laminate 16 has inherent stretchproperties in at least one direction.

The outer layers 20 and 22 may be made from any suitable material. Forexample, in one embodiment, the outer layers comprise nonwoven webs. Thenonwoven webs may be elastic or non-elastic.

In general, the first and second non-woven webs 20 and 22 may beflexible sheet materials that can provide desired skin-like barrier andelastic properties, while also improving the overall tactile aestheticsor feeling for the wearer, by reducing stiffness often found withnonwoven fabrics and the tackiness and difficult donning propertiesassociated with latex-based substrates. Given the particular structureof certain nonwoven fabrics, corrugation of the contact surfaceespecially when gathered helps reduce the amount of surface area thatactually contacts the wearer's skin, making the article 10 easier to donor doff. The physical structure of nonwoven materials also can producecapillary action to wick moisture away from the wearer's skin, hencereducing any sense of wetness or clamminess and keeping the wearerfeeling dry and comfortable. The wrinkles may also act to enhance airflow between the glove 10 and the skin of the user.

In one embodiment, the outer layers 20 and 22 can be made frompolymer-based nonwoven materials that have various cloth-likeproperties. A foundational substrate or a base nonwoven fiber web can beformed, for instance, from materials that may include synthetic fibers,pulp fibers, thermo-mechanical pulp, or mixtures of such materials.Non-woven web materials suitable for use in the present disclosure mayinclude spunbond webs, meltblown webs, spunbond-meltblown-spunbondlaminates, coform webs, spunbond-film-spunbond laminates, bicomponentspunbond webs, bicomponent meltblown webs, biconstituent spunbond webs,biconstituent meltblown webs, bonded carded webs, airlaid webs, and thelike.

In one particular embodiment, for instance, the outer layers 20 and 22may comprise spunbond webs that may be thermally bonded or through-airbonded. In one embodiment, for instance, the spunbond webs may containbicomponent polyethylene/polypropylene filaments in a side-by-sidearrangement.

The basis weight of the outer layers 20 and 22 can vary dramaticallydepending upon the particular application. For exemplary purposes only,the basis weight of the outer layers may generally be from about 10 gsmto about 300 gsm, such as from about 15 gsm to about 200 gsm. In variousembodiments, for instance, the basis weight of the outer layers may berelatively low, such as from about 12 gsm to about 20 gsm.Alternatively, the outer layers may have a basis weight of from about 35gsm to 175 gsm, such as from about 65 gsm to about 140 gsm. Further, thebasis weight of the outer layers 20 and 22 may be similar or may be verydifferent.

In one embodiment, one or both of the outer layers 20 and 22 maycomprise elastic nonwoven webs. For instance, the webs may be formedfrom a block copolymer, such as a KRATON polymer manufactured by KratonPolymers of Houston, Tex. The elastic nonwoven webs may comprise, forinstance, spunbond webs or meltblown webs.

Various different types of stretch-bonded laminates are also disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,775, U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,415, and U.S. PatentApplication No. 2002/0104608, all of which are incorporated herein byreference.

As described above, after attachment of the first outer layer 20 and/orthe second outer layer 22 to the elastic layer 18, the stretch-bondedlaminate 16 may be released so that the elastic strands 24 return totheir normal length, thus causing the first and second outer layers 20and 22 to wrinkle. FIG. 5 shows the stretch-bonded laminate 16 in arelaxed position in which wrinkles 26 are formed in the first and secondouter layers. The wrinkles 26 may extend through the entire outer layersso that they are essentially on both sides of the layers. Thestretch-bonded laminate 16 thus has a certain degree of hiddenstretchability that allows for the stretch-bonded laminate 16 tofunction as a glove 10 or other protective article so that movement of aportion of the user's body causes a stretching in the stretch-bondedlaminate 16 while still maintaining a comfortable fit onto the user. Thestretch-bonded laminate 16 may fit tightly onto the skin of the user inboth a relaxed state and then in a stretched state where the user movesa portion of his or her body.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the elastic strands 24 arearranged so as to be parallel. An alternative arrangement of astretch-bonded laminate 16, however, is shown in FIG. 3. Like referencenumerals have been used to indicate similar elements. In the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 3, the elastic filaments or strands 24 are formedinto a grid-like or mesh-type shape.

For parallel strands, the elasticity may be one dimensional, but seconddimensional elasticity can come from elastic fibers if present in thefirst and second nonwoven webs 20 and 22. If elastic fiber webs can beformed by spraying fibers perpendicular to the parallel strands, aknit-like microstructure is formed and may be vapor or liquid permeable.The grid type of arrangement of FIG. 3 may allow for the stretch-bondedlaminate 16 to stretch in various directions and may also incorporateadditional stretching from the outer layers 20 and 22. As such, theelastic strands 24 may be viewed as mesh frames that are equivalent tomesh structures formed in woven products during the knitting process butwith improved surface flexibility and structural variations. However, inaccordance with other exemplary embodiments the elastic strands 24 maybe arranged in any desired direction so as to accommodate stretching invarious directions.

Referring to FIG. 4, still another embodiment of a stretch-bondedlaminate 16 that may be used in accordance with the present disclosureis illustrated. Again, like reference numerals have been used toindicate similar elements. As shown, the spunbonded laminate 16 includesan elastic layer 18 positioned in between a first outer layer 20 and asecond outer layer 22. In this embodiment, the elastic layer 18comprises an elastic film. The film, for instance, may be made from anysuitable elastomeric material, such as a styrenic block copolymer, anelastomeric polyethylene, an elastomeric polypropylene, or any othersuitable elastomeric material. For instance, the film 18 can be madefrom any of the same materials described above with respect to theelastic filaments 24.

Similar to the above embodiments, the elastic film layer 18 may bestretched and then attached to the outer layers 20 and 22 for formingthe laminate material. The use of an elastic film layer 18 may bedesirable in some applications. For example, the film layer 18 mayprovide further protection to the hand of the wearer by serving as abarrier layer to the hand. The use of a film layer, for instance, may beincorporated into the glove 10 where the elastomeric coating 14 is notpresent. In addition, as will be described in greater detail below, thefilm layer 18 may prevent penetration of the elastomeric coating whichmay provide the glove with a higher degree of flexibility and comfort.

It should be understood that in addition to spunbond laminates, theglove of the present disclosure may be constructed from various othertypes of elastic laminates. In one particular embodiment, for instance,a neck-bonded laminate including reverse neck-bonded laminates may beused.

When incorporated into a glove, the elastic laminate may have uniformstretch properties or may have non-uniform stretch properties in one ormore directions. For example, in one embodiment, the elastic laminatemay be formed so that greater stretch and/or elasticity may be builtinto the laminate in particular areas, such as where the glove isexpected to undergo greater tension. For example, greater amounts ofstretch or elasticity may be incorporated into the hollow member in thepalm area, in the cuff area, in the back side of the glove, or on thefinger portions where the knuckles are located. The greater stretch orelastic areas, for instance, may comprise bands that extend across theelastic laminate.

For example, in one embodiment, the elastic laminate may comprise astretch-bonded laminate containing outer layers made from a nonwovenweb, such as a spunbond web. The spunbond webs may be formed on aforming surface containing cavities where greater amounts of fibers maydeposit. These cavities, for instance, can have a rectangular shape thatextends in the machine direction or the cross-machine direction. Whenlaminated to an elastic layer, such as elastic filaments, the higherbasis weight areas formed in the cavities on the forming surface mayprovide greater inherent stretch in those areas. For instance, thestretch or elasticity in those areas may be from about 5% to about 20%greater than the remainder of the laminate, such as from about 5% toabout 10% greater.

The basis weight of the elastic laminate used to construct the hollowmember 12 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B may vary depending upon theparticular application and the desired results. For instance, lowerbasis weights may be used where tactile properties are more desirable.Higher basis weights, however, may be used where greater protection isneeded. In general, the basis weight of the elastic laminate may varyfrom about 25 gsm or lower to 400 gsm and greater. For instance, thebasis weight of the elastic laminate may vary from about 30 gsm to about200 gsm, such as from about 50 gsm to about 100 gsm.

When constructing the hollow member 12 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, asingle piece of elastic laminate may be used to form the glove ormultiple panels may be used. For example, in one embodiment, a firstpanel may be attached to a second panel in forming the hollow member. Ofparticular advantage in a two panel construction is that the panels maybe made from different materials. For instance, different types ofelastic laminates or elastic laminates having different properties canbe used to form the palm portion of the glove and the back side of theglove.

For example, in one embodiment, an elastic laminate having stretch ingenerally one direction may be used for the palm side of the glove whilean elastic laminate having stretch in multiple directions may be usedfor the back side, where greater stretch is typically needed. In oneparticular embodiment, for instance, a neck-bonded laminate may be usedto form the palm side of the glove containing a film layer while astretch-bonded laminate containing elastic filaments may be used toconstruct the back side of the glove. In this embodiment, the spunbondedlaminate has better elasticity which may be desirable on the back sideof the glove since more flexibility is needed when the hand bends toform a fist. Also, the stretch-bonded laminate may allow gas flowtherethrough so that the glove can be breathable, especially inapplications where the back side of the glove is not coated with theelastomeric coating.

The neck-bonded laminate, on the other hand, may contain a polymer filmlayer so as to provide further barrier protection to the palm side ofthe hand where substances are more prone to contact the glove. The filmlayer also will maintain the elastomeric coating on the outside layer ofthe laminate.

In other embodiments, the elastic laminate used to form the palm side ofthe glove may be thicker and have a greater basis weight than theelastic laminate used to form the back side of the glove. In thisembodiment, both elastic laminates may have a similar or differentconstruction. The palm side, however, may be thicker and have a greaterbasis weight for providing greater protection against objects that areheld with the glove.

When forming the hollow member 12 from a first elastic laminate and asecond elastic laminate, the two panels may be attached together usingany suitable method or technique. For instance, the panels may beadhesively bonded together, thermally bonded together, or ultrasonicallybonded together. In still another embodiment, the panels may be sewntogether to form the seam. For example, FIG. 6 shows a cut away portionof the inside of a glove 10 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment.Here, a first stretch-bonded laminate 28 is attached to a secondstretch-bonded laminate 30 thus forming a seam 32. The seam 32 may havea height 34 that is up to 5 mm in length in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments. Alternatively, the height 34 of the seam 32 maybe up to three millimeters, up to two millimeters, or less than onemillimeter in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments. The height34 of the seam 32 may impact the comfort of the user during wearing ofthe glove 10. For example, if the height 34 of the seam 32 is relativelylarge, the user will feel the seam 32 if the hollow member is invertedand may experience discomfort therefrom. Additionally, the height 34 ofthe seam 32 may also hinder removal of the glove 10 from the user or mayinterfere with donning of the glove 10. If the hollow member is notinverted and the seam remains on the exterior surface of the hollowmember, a relatively large seam may interfere with use of the glove.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,the first and second stretch-bonded laminates 28 and 30 may be connectedto one another through one or more “flush” seam bonds 36 as shown inFIG. 7. For example, flush seam bonds can be formed through a singlestep ultrasonic bonding and cutting process. Here, the seams are formedbetween the first and second stretch-bonded laminates so as to have aheight of generally equal to or less than 1 mm. The flush seam bond 36allows for a greater degree of user comfort of the glove 10 as the userwill not be able to feel discomfort from any seams during wearing of theglove 10. Additionally, flush seam bonding may allow for the glove 10 tobe more easily donned and removed from the hand of the user as seams 32will not be present to interfere with donning and removal. The flushseam bonds 36 may be desirable in that they result in a glove 10 thatcan have the same quality as woven knit gloves with respect to wearingfeel and comfort. Additionally, the stretchability of the glove 10 mayalso provide for desired hand fitting properties and allow for easydonning and removal of the glove 10.

In a particular embodiment, the flush seam bonds 36 may be less thanabout 500 micrometers (μm) in width and about 500 μm in height. Theflush seam bond 36 may also be less than 400 or 300 μm in width and 400or 300 μm in height. Preferably, the flush seam bond 36 is less than 100μm in width and 100 μm in height. In certain exemplary embodiments, theflush seam bond 36 width can be as narrow as about 50 μm. The width andheight of the flush seam bond may be controlled, for instance, byvarying the width, height and the cutting angle of the glove pattern onthe bonding horn or bonding anvil, or ultrasonic sewing die.

With respect to ultrasonic bonding of the elastic laminates, the bondingseam 36 along the edges further functions as an anchor for the strandsto prevent the strands from becoming loose when the seam 36 lines areformed. In one embodiment, a seam 36 line may be formed by employing anultrasonic glove cut/seal fixture in which a flat top is present forcutting within an angle slope for simultaneous sealing. The slope partof the fixture may only melt the laminates so that the strands will beintimately bonded together for preventing the formation of loosestrands. Preferably, the loose strands may be less than 50% aftercut/seal, and in some embodiments, less than 75%, and in someembodiments, less than 85%, and in some embodiments, less than 90%.

When forming the seam 36, the seam may have a relatively uniform widthor may have a non-uniform width. For example, in one embodiment, theseam may be wider or may include additional bonding points in highstress areas. The high stress areas may include between the thumb andthe palm, between the fingers, and surrounding the opening of the glove.

Since gloves 10 may be in a variety of sizes and shapes, ultrasonicbonding installations, such as a plunge bonder, may not be able to placea whole hand glove facial onto a horn. For example, a glove 10 at 7×10inches in size cannot be fabricated by a bonder that can only support a6×9 inch horn. This is particularly true for large size gloves when thesize is beyond the limit of a given ultrasonic bonder. In this case, itis possible to have more than one horn to make a hollow member 12. Insome embodiments, two horns may be needed to make a hollow member 12. Inother embodiments, four horns may be needed. Each horn can have a facialfor bonding one area of the hollow member. Alternatively, the glovefacial can be placed onto a large anvil and use a smaller horn to bondthe glove in one or more successive plunge bonds. Rotary ultrasonicbonding can also be used with a pattern located on a cylindrical anvil.

It is also possible that three-dimensional shaped gloves or othergarments can be made by stretching one laminate during bonding. In thiscase, the stretched laminate retracts to its normal length and causesthe glove 10 to have a three-dimensional shape. Such a bonding processis especially useful for forming a glove that has open finger tips, asshown in FIG. 13.

In certain embodiments, the hollow member can also be formed so as toinclude a hemline surrounding the opening for receiving the hand. Thehem can be formed by either forming a cut/seal edge by ultrasonic sewingor employing a traditional hem-forming machine. The hem can be used toreinforce the strength of the cuff of the glove.

FIG. 8 shows a process of manufacturing the hollow member 12 as shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B in accordance with one exemplary embodiment. Here, firstand second stretch-bonded laminates 28 and 30 are drawn towards oneanother and formed into the hollow member through an ultrasonic bondingstep 48. The ultrasonic bonding step 48 and related manufacturing stepsmay be performed as that shown and described in U.S. application Ser.No. 11/118,078 filed Apr. 29, 2005, the entire contents of which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes. Theultrasonic bonding step 48 in FIG. 8 may employ a blade horn 52positioned on one side of the first stretch-bonded laminate 28 while ananvil 54, in this case a cylindrical anvil having a pattern of glovesthereon, is located adjacent the second stretch-bonded laminate 30. Theblade horn 52 may be moved into engagement with the laminates tosimultaneously bond and cut the laminates in order to form the flushseam bond 36 thereon. The rotary anvil 54 may be configured to have anedge that is flat for cutting and an angled side for the sealingfunction as shown and described in the above-mentioned U.S. applicationSer. No. 11/118,078.

The hollow members may be arranged so that the opening for the hand ofthe user is located on an edge of the laminates. Once formed, the hollowmembers may be removed and collected. The process shown in FIG. 8 may bea continuous rotary process so that the hollow members may bemanufactured at a high rate of speed. Alternatively, an intermittentprocess for the formation of the hollow members may also be employed, ifdesired, in accordance with other exemplary embodiments.

An inverting step may be employed to turn the hollow member so that theflush seam bonds 36 that have any height thereto are then located on theinside of the hollow member. However, the inverting step is notnecessary in accordance with other exemplary embodiments. For example,the hollow member may be constructed and arranged so that the height ofthe flush seam bonds 36 are located on the outside of the hollow member.Additionally, the flush seam bonds 36 may be formed so that a height isnegligible.

After the hollow member 12 is formed, the hollow member is thencontacted with an elastomeric composition for forming a coating at leaston a portion of the hollow member. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 1Aand 1B, the elastomeric coating may cover the palm portion and thefinger portions of the glove 10. The elastomeric coating composition maycontain any suitable natural or synthetic film-forming polymer. Theelastic coating composition may comprise an aqueous-based dispersion ora solvent-based dispersion. Polymers that may be present in theelastomeric coating composition include natural rubber latex, nitrilepolymers, polyvinyl chloride polymers, polyurethane polymers, siliconepolymers, acrylic polymers, block copolymers such as styrenic blockcopolymers, and the like. As used herein, a nitrile polymer refers toany film-forming polymer that contains acrylonitrile.

Particular styrenic block copolymers that may be used includestyrene-ethylene butylene-styrene block copolymers,styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-butadiene-styreneblock copolymers, styrene-isoprene block copolymers, styrene-butadieneblock copolymers, and the like. Block copolymers, for example, that maybe used in the present disclosure are disclosed, for instance, in U.S.Pat. No. 5,112,900, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,715, U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,452,and U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,159, which are all incorporated herein byreference.

In order to contact the hollow member 12 with the elastomeric coatingcomposition, in one embodiment, the hollow member may be dipped into thecomposition. Once contacted with the elastomeric composition, theresulting glove may be heated in order to dry and/or cure theelastomeric coating.

The manner in which the elastomeric coating composition is contactedwith the hollow member 12 can vary depending upon the particularapplication and the desired result. In one embodiment, for instance, thehollow member may contact the coating composition in a flatconfiguration. Alternatively, the hollow member may be placed on ahand-shaped former and then dipped into the elastomeric coatingcomposition. It has been discovered that the above two processes mayproduce gloves having different physical characteristics.

For example, FIG. 10B is an exemplary drawing of a glove 10 in which thehollow member 12 has been dipped into an elastomeric coating compositionto form an elastomeric coating 14 while the hollow member is in a flatstate. As shown, the coated glove 10 also assumes a relatively flatconfiguration. This may be desirable in order to more easily pack thegloves and ship them.

When the hollow member, however, is placed on a hand-shaped former anddip coated a three-dimensional glove 10 as shown in FIG. 10A may result.Specifically, the present inventors have found that when the hollowmember is placed on a hand-shaped former and dip coated, the glove 10assumes a three-dimensional shape after curing.

Referring to FIG. 9, one embodiment of a process for forming thethree-dimensional glove 10 as shown in FIG. 10A is illustrated. Asshown, the process includes a plurality of hand-shaped formers 40. Theformers 40, for instance, may be made from ceramic and are grouped inrows and moved along a conveyor line 42. In accordance with the presentdisclosure, the hollow members 12 are placed upon each of the formers40. As the hand-shaped formers 40 move along the conveyor line 42, thehollow members 12 are dipped into a dipping composition 44 in order toform an elastomeric coating on at least a portion of the hollow member.One example of a dip tank 46 is shown in the figure. As will bedescribed in more detail below, the process may include a plurality ofdip tanks containing different or the same compositions. The processline can also include various heating devices for heating theelastomeric composition being formed on the hollow members.

The process illustrated in FIG. 9 is intended to represent a continuousprocess. In an alternative embodiment, however, the hand-shaped formers40 may be assembled into groups and processed separately in a batchprocessing operation.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the entire hand shape of thehollow member 12 is being coated with the elastomeric composition. Inorder to coat only a portion of the hollow member, the molds can bedipped only partially into the coating composition as desired. Also, theformers 40 can be placed into the elastomeric coating composition at anangle as needed in order to coat the hollow member where desired.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in one embodiment, only the palm portionand the finger portions of the hollow members are coated. In oneembodiment, the coating can extend so as to surround any seam containedwithin the hollow member. Coating the seam further reinforces thestrength of the seam and prevents against rupture during use.

In addition to a dipping process as shown in FIG. 9, it should beunderstood that the elastomeric coating composition may also be appliedto the hollow member in other ways. For example, in one embodiment, theelastomeric coating composition can be sprayed or extruded onto thehollow member. For instance, in one embodiment, it may be desirable toapply the elastomeric coating composition in a discontinuous manner. Forinstance, referring to FIG. 15, one alternative embodiment of a glove 10made in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated. In thisembodiment, the elastomeric coating 14 is applied to the hollow member12 in a discontinuous fashion. Specifically, the elastomeric coating 14comprises a pattern of discrete shapes or dots. In this manner, itshould be appreciated that any suitable pattern may be applied to thehollow member.

The amount the elastomeric coating composition penetrates through thethickness of the elastic member can also vary depending upon theparticular application and the desired results. In one embodiment, forinstance, it may be desirable to have the elastomeric coatingcomposition penetrate through to the inside surface of the hollowmember. In this embodiment, for instance, the elastic laminates may becompletely impregnated by the elastomeric coating composition. In thismanner, the elastic laminates that form the hollow member create areinforcing matrix for the elastomeric coating.

In alternative embodiments, however, it may be desirable only for theelastomeric coating composition to penetrate only a portion of thethickness of the hollow member. For example, sufficient penetration ofthe hollow member may be needed in order for there to be suitablebonding between the elastomeric coating and the outside surface of thehollow member. Too much penetration, however, can increase the stiffnessof the resulting article. Further, preventing penetration to the insidesurface of the hollow member leaves, in one embodiment, a nonwovenmaterial placed adjacent to the hand which provides softness. andcomfort to the wearer. Further, as described above, when the nonwovenweb forms the interior surface of the glove, the glove can be easilydonned by the wearer.

In order to control penetration of the elastomeric coating composition,various methods and techniques may be used to control the coatingprocess. For instance, in one embodiment, the hollow member may beformed from an elastic laminate containing a film as shown in FIG. 4.For example, referring to FIG. 11, an elastic laminate 16 is shownincluding two outer nonwoven layers 20 and 22 and a middle elastic layer18 formed from a film. As also shown, the elastic laminate 16 furtherincludes an elastomeric coating 14. Presence of the film layer 18prevents penetration of the elastomeric coating composition into theouter layer 22.

In addition to using a film layer in the elastic laminate, various otherprocessing techniques may also be used to control penetration. Forexample, penetration of the coating composition can be controlled byvarying the viscosity of the coating composition. For instance, byincreasing the viscosity, penetration of the elastomeric coatingcomposition into the hollow member can be reduced.

In addition, penetration of the coating composition can also becontrolled by varying the pore size and/or the fiber size of the outerlayer of the elastic laminate. For instance, smaller fiber sizestypically lead to smaller pore sizes which prevent penetration of thecoating composition. In one embodiment, for instance, the elasticlaminate may include an exterior surface comprising a meltblown webcontaining relatively small fibers. The meltblown web may be used toprevent the coating composition from impregnating the entire layer.Depending upon whether a spunbond or a meltblown web is used, thediameter of the fibers may range from about 10 microns to less than 1micron.

In still another embodiment, penetration of the elastomeric coating canbe controlled by controlling fiber packing density of the elasticlaminate. For example, increasing the fiber packing density willgenerally inhibit the elastomeric coating composition from penetratingthrough the layer. For exemplary purposes only, when the elasticlaminate contains nonwoven synthetic fibers, the packing density mayvary from about 0.05 g/cc to about 0.3 g/cc.

In another embodiment, penetration of the elastomeric coating can becontrolled by controlling the surface energy of the outside surface ofthe hollow member. For example, hydrophobic surfaces may reactdifferently to the elastomeric coating than hydrophilic surfaces. Forexample, if the elastomeric coating composition comprises an aqueouscomposition, for some applications, a hydrophobic surface will preventpenetration of the coating composition.

When varying fiber size and packing density, it should be understoodthat such characteristics can change over the thickness of the elasticlaminate. For example, the exterior surface of the laminate may bemodified or otherwise constructed to control penetration, while theinterior surface may have different characteristics. For example, in oneembodiment, the elastic laminate may include two outer layers in whichthe outer layer forming the exterior surface of the hollow member has asmall pore size while the outer layer forming the interior surface ofthe hollow member has a relatively large pore size. The same can holdtrue for packing density, fiber diameters, and surface energy.

In still another embodiment of the present disclosure, a precoat on thehollow member may be used in order to control penetration of theelastomeric coating composition. The precoat, for instance, may comprisea chemical composition applied to the exterior surface of the hollowmember. The chemical composition may not form a film on the hollowmember but may serve to control penetration of the elastomeric coating.

For example, in one embodiment, the precoat may comprise a coagulantcomposition for coagulating the natural or synthetic polymer containedwithin the elastomeric coating composition.

For example, the precoat composition may contain a coagulant whichcauses a film-forming polymer such as natural rubber latex or nitrilepolymer to coagulate and polymerize on the outside surface of the hollowmember. Coagulants that may be used may include, for instance, asolution of a coagulant salt such as a metal salt. Examples ofcoagulants include but are not limited to water soluble salts ofcalcium, zinc, aluminum, and the like. For example, in one embodiment,calcium nitrate in water or alcohol may be used as the coagulantcomposition. The amount of coagulant present in the solution maydetermine the amount of penetration of the elastomeric composition.

In order to apply the coagulant composition to the hollow member, thecoagulant composition can be sprayed on the hollow member or the hollowmember may be dipped into the coagulant composition. For instance, thehollow member may be applied to a hand-shaped former and dipped into thecoagulant composition prior to being dipped into the elastomeric coatingcomposition. Once applied, the coagulant may air dry leaving a residualcoating on the hollow member.

Upon contact of the coating composition with the elastomericcomposition, the coagulant causes the polymer contained in theelastomeric composition to become locally unstable and coagulate on thesurface of the hollow member. In many applications, the coagulant itselfdoes not form a separate layer on the article, but rather becomes partof the resulting film.

In addition to a coagulant composition, the precoat may comprise otherchemical compositions. For example, in an alternative embodiment, thehollow member may be treated with a hydrophobic composition thatcontrols and reduces penetration of the elastomeric coating.

Once the elastomeric coating composition is applied to the hollow memberand dried and/or cured, the thickness of the resulting coating may vary.The thickness of the film, for instance, may be increased or decreasedby increasing or decreasing the dwell time during which the hollowmember contacts the coating composition. Total thickness of theelastomeric coating may also depend on various other parameters as well.

In order to increase the thickness of the elastomeric coating, in oneembodiment, multiple layers of the elastomeric coating composition maybe applied to the hollow member. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, anelastic laminate 16 is shown including an elastomeric coating 14. Likereference numerals have been used to indicate similar or correspondingelements. Similar to FIG. 11, in this embodiment, the elastic laminateincludes two outer layers 20 and 22 and an elastic film middle layer 18.In this embodiment, however, the elastomeric coating 14 includes twolayers, an interior layer 60 and an outer layer 62. It should beunderstood that multiple layers applied to the hollow member may beindistinguishable. FIG. 12, however, is provided for purposes ofillustration only.

When applying separate layers of an elastomeric coating composition tothe hollow member, it should be understood that the layers can be madefrom the same material or from different materials. The layers may alsohave different thicknesses depending upon the particular application.Further, the second layer applied to the hollow member may be applied inthe same areas as the first layer or may be applied in different areas.For example, in one embodiment, the second layer may only be applied toportions of the glove where further reinforcement is needed.

As described above, once the elastomeric coating is applied to thehollow member, the natural or synthetic polymer contained within theelastomeric coating may be dried, cured or vulcanized if necessary. Inone embodiment, the polymer may be cured by high temperature reactionwith a vulcanizing agent, such as sulfur, to cause cross-linking of thepolymer chains. Curing may generally take place at temperatures of about50° C. to about 200° C. although the temperature is dependent upon theparticular polymer used. In addition to curing the polymer, the hightemperature process may cause the evaporation of any volatile componentsremaining in the glove, including any water remaining in the layers. Inother embodiments, the elastomeric coating may be air dried or cured atroom temperature.

In general, the thickness of the elastomeric coating can vary from 3mils or less to greater than 15 mils or less. For example, in oneembodiment, the thickness of the elastomeric coating may be from about 3mils to about 5.5 mils.

After the elastomeric coating is dried and/or cured, variouspost-processing steps may occur if desired. For example, in oneembodiment, the gloves may be immersed into a leaching bath and leached.In addition, the articles may be subjected to a halogenation process,such as, for example, a chlorination process to improve the surfacecharacteristics of the elastomeric coating. Halogenation, for instance,can control the tackiness of the resulting layer.

If desired, various other treatments may also be applied to the glove.For example, a skincare formulation or antimicrobial/antiviral agentsmay be applied to the glove if desired. In one embodiment, for instance,the inside surface of the hollow member can be treated with acomposition intended to protect the skin of the wearer or to otherwiseprovide benefits to the skin. The skincare formulation, for instance,may comprise a moisturizer and various other therapeutic components. Itshould also be understood that the gloves can be made in any size or anysuitable color.

The glove of the present disclosure may be used in all different typesof applications. Particular embodiments of gloves in addition to the oneillustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B are shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. In FIG. 13,a glove 10 is illustrated that may be used for sports or recreationalpurposes. In this embodiment, the glove 10 includes finger portionshaving open ends for allowing the uppermost portion of the fingers toremain uncovered. As shown, the glove 10 includes a hollow member 12 andan elastomeric coating 14. In this embodiment, the elastomeric coatingonly covers the palm portion of the glove 10. Such gloves as shown inFIG. 13 are well suited for use in weightlifting, bicycling, climbing,and sailing in addition to various other applications.

Referring to FIG. 14, still another embodiment of a glove 10 made inaccordance with the present disclosure is illustrated. In thisembodiment, the hollow member of the glove 10 is completely coated bythe elastomeric coating. Further, the glove 10 includes an extended cuffportion 70. For instance, the cuff portion 70 may extend from the handto an elbow of the wearer.

These and other modifications and variations to the present inventionmay be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which ismore particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, itshould be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may beinterchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is byway of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention sofurther described in such appended claims.

1. A glove comprising: a hollow member defining an opening for receivinga hand therein, the hollow member having an interior surface configuredto be placed adjacent to a hand when the glove is donned and an oppositeexterior surface, the hollow member comprising an elastic laminate, theelastic laminate including at least one nonwoven layer; and anelastomeric coating covering at least a portion of the exterior surfaceof the hollow member, the elastomeric coating comprising a natural orsynthetic polymer, the elastomeric coating forming a continuous ordiscontinuous film on the exterior surface.
 2. A glove as defined inclaim 1, wherein the elastic laminate comprises a spunbond laminate, aneck-bonded laminate, or mixtures thereof.
 3. A glove as defined inclaim 1, wherein the hollow member comprises a first panel attached to asecond panel along a seam.
 4. A glove as defined in claim 3, wherein theseam has a thickness of less than about 1 mm.
 5. A glove as defined inclaim 3, wherein the first panel and the second panel are ultrasonicallybonded together to form the seam.
 6. A glove as defined in claim 1,wherein the elastic laminate comprises at least three layers, the layersincluding two outer nonwoven layers and a middle layer comprisingelastic filaments, an elastic film, or an elastic nonwoven.
 7. A gloveas defined in claim 6, wherein the outer layers are attached to themiddle layer while the middle layer is in a stretched condition suchthat the outer layers gather when the middle layer is in a relaxedstate.
 8. A glove as defined in claim 7, wherein the outer layerscomprise spunbond webs.
 9. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein theelastic laminate has a basis weight of from about 20 gsm to about 200gsm.
 10. A glove as defined in claim 3, wherein the first panel covers apalm portion of the glove and comprises a neck-bonded laminate, thesecond panel comprising a breathable stretch-bonded laminate.
 11. Aglove as defined in claim 1, further comprising a precoat positioned inbetween the elastic laminate and the elastomeric coating.
 12. A glove asdefined in claim 11, wherein the precoat comprises a coagulantcomposition for the natural or synthetic polymer.
 13. A glove as definedin claim 11, wherein the precoat comprises a hydrophobic compositionthat resides on the exterior surface of the hollow member withoutforming a film.
 14. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the gloveincludes finger portions, a palm portion, and a back side, theelastomeric coating only covering the palm portion and the fingerportions of the glove.
 15. A glove as defined in claim 3, wherein theglove includes finger portions, a palm portion, and a back side, theelastomeric coating only covering a portion of the exterior surface ofthe hollow member, the elastomeric coating being present on the palmportion and covering the seam formed between the first panel and thesecond panel.
 16. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastomericcoating comprises at least two layers of the natural or syntheticpolymer.
 17. A glove as defined in claim 6, wherein the middle layercomprises a plurality of parallel elastic filaments.
 18. A glove asdefined in claim 6, wherein the elastic coating is present on theexterior surface of the hollow member so as to not substantiallypenetrate into the outer nonwoven layer forming the interior surface ofthe hollow member.
 19. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein thenatural or synthetic polymer comprises natural rubber latex, a nitrilepolymer, polyvinyl chloride, a polyurethane, a silicone polymer, anacrylic polymer or a block copolymer.
 20. A glove as defined in claim 1,wherein the natural or synthetic polymer of the elastomeric coatingcomprises a styrenic block copolymer.
 21. A glove as defined in claim 1,wherein the elastomeric coating is present on the exterior surface ofthe hollow member so as to not substantially penetrate all the waythrough to the interior surface of the hollow member.
 22. A glove asdefined in claim 1, wherein the elastomeric coating forms a continuousfilm on the hollow member.
 23. A glove as defined in claim 1, whereinthe elastomeric coating forms a discontinuous film on the exteriorsurface of the hollow member.
 24. A process for producing a gloveproduct comprising: forming a hollow member defining an opening forreceiving a hand therein, the hollow member having an interior surfaceconfigured to be placed adjacent to a hand when the glove product isdonned and an opposite exterior surface, the hollow member comprising anelastic laminate, the elastic laminate including at least one nonwovenlayer; and dipping at least a portion of the hollow member into anelastomeric coating composition containing a natural or syntheticpolymer, the elastomeric coating composition forming an elastomericcoating on the exterior surface of the hollow member.
 25. A process asdefined in claim 24, wherein the hollow member is placed on a formerprior to being dipped into the elastomeric coating composition.
 26. Aprocess as defined in claim 24, wherein the exterior surface of thehollow member is only partially coated by the elastomeric coating.
 27. Aprocess as defined in claim 24, further comprising the step of firstforming a precoat on the exterior surface of the hollow member prior todipping the hollow member into the elastomeric coating composition. 28.A process as defined in claim 27, wherein the precoat comprises acoagulant composition for the natural or synthetic polymer.
 29. Aprocess as defined in claim 24, wherein the natural or synthetic polymercomprises natural rubber latex, a nitrile polymer, polyvinyl chloride, asilicone polymer, an acrylic polymer, a polyurethane, or a blockcopolymer.
 30. A process as defined in claim 24, wherein the elasticlaminate comprises a spunbond laminate, a neck-bonded laminate, ormixtures thereof.
 31. A polymer-coated protective garment comprising: ahollow member defining an opening, the hollow member having a shapeconfigured to receive a hand, a foot, an arm, or a leg of a wearer, thehollow member having an interior surface configured to be placedadjacent to a wearer's skin and an opposite exterior surface, the hollowmember comprising an elastic laminate, the elastic laminate including atleast one nonwoven layer; and an elastomeric coating covering at least aportion of the exterior surface of the hollow member, the elastomericcoating comprising a natural or synthetic polymer, the polymercomprising a natural rubber latex, a nitrile polymer, a polyvinylchloride, a polyurethane, a silicone polymer, an acrylic polymer, or ablock copolymer.
 32. A polymer-coated protective garment as defined inclaim 31, wherein the elastic laminate comprises a stretch-bondedlaminate, a neck-bonded laminate, or mixtures thereof.